This was *the year* of 1790s (and we hope the trend continues!). Here are my favorite shots of Abby, Nicole, Maggie, and Lauren M.

Left to Right: Abby, Nicole, Robert The Barbary Corsair, Lauren M. and Maggie

Nicole's shako was incredible.

Lauren a la Marvelleuise in beautiful 1790s

Pass the Punch - we enjoyed an excellent dinner with The Acasta, which got friendlier and friendlier as the punch bowl made its rounds.

Abby and Maggie, the whimple sisters, rocking the late 1790s trend for exotically wrapped turbans

Nicole wore a stunning embroidered batiste gown with her version of the Agreeable Tyrant spencer in burnt orange silk trimmed with olive green buttons and passimenterie.

Abby's gown was a gold-printed Indian cotton trimmed in gold bullion fringe with a gathered front and green silk sash pinned with Wedgewood jewelry.

The narrow diamond back of Maggie's 1790s gown was expertly fitted. This is a tricky style to accomplish!

Maggie's gown was made of a subtly red and blue dotted cotton with a full back and train. The front was high-necked and gathered, worn over a chemisette. The whole ensemble was tied together with a dark blue silk ribbon sash.

The train on Nicole's gown was long and luscious, a hallmark of 1790s fashion for both day and evening.

Details - accessories make the 1790s interesting. The same Agreeable Tyrant spencer made and worn two different ways for completely different looks - Nicole and Lauren M.

Same pattern, two exquisite and quite different results. This pattern came from the book An Agreeable Tyrant.

Gorgeous Lauren M in her round gown with enormous '90s cap and her Agreeable Tyrant spencer in black silk trimmed in silver.

Monday, September 18, 2017

Lovelies, we are so excited to finally be able to give you all a sneak preview and some behind-the-scenes info on our upcoming book, The American Duchess Guide to 18th Century Dressmaking.

We want to thank everyone for supporting our effort so far - thanks to you, The American Duchess Guide has reached #1 Bestseller on Amazon in the "Sewing" category. Woohoo!!

This video is the first in a series of "chats" about the book - motivation, inspiration, intention, and later on some more in-depth info about each of the gowns we chose and how the projects went.

The book is currently available to pre-order on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other major booksellers. It's available through Amazon in Europe, Australia, Canada, and other countries, so you don't need to purchase from the USA.

Make this gown, step-by step!

We *will* be selling signed copies on AmericanDuchess.com on November 21st, if you'd like your book to have a bit of Lauren&Abby chicken-scratch on the opening pages. ;-) We will also be attending events and book signings but we don't have settled dates on any of those yet. We'll keep you posted!

Friday, September 15, 2017

Welcome to part two of our stories of real life American Duchesses, rich stateside socialites who married into the British aristocracy. Today we have the Tale of Two Consuelos.The first is Consuelo Yznaga, was born in New York to a Cuban father & American mother. Through her father there were close connections to Spanish aristocracy and a great deal of wealth. She married George Montagu, Viscount Mandeville, who later became the Duke of Manchester. Thus, Consuelo became the Duchess of Manchester. Consuelo was also one of the real "Buccaneers". She passed away in 1909.

Consuelo Yznaga, Duchess of Manchester, 1907, John Singer Sargent

The Manchester Tiara, which Consuelo commissioned Cartier to make, is in the Victoria and Albert collection and it's amazing.

As it turns out the Duchess of Manchester was super besties with Alva Smith Vanderbilt who is actually the mother to the second Consuelo. And yes, she was named after the Duchess of Manchester, who was the godmother to Consuelo Vanderbilt.Consuelo Vanderbilt was born March 2, 1877 in New York, heiress to an immense railroad fortune. Her mother was apparently very controlling and manipulative, pressuring her to marry Charles Spencer-Churchill, the 9th Duke of Marlborough, by locking her in her room and pretending to be on her death bed. I feel bad for Consuelo - supposedly she was already secretly engaged to another man, but her mother won that battle of wills and she married the Duke in 1895. It wasn't too long before it was marriage in name only, and eventually they had the marriage annulled. Consuelo re-married for love to Jacques Balsan, a French textile manufacturing heir.

Consuelo Vanderbilt, Duchess of Marlborough, 1903, Paul César Helleu

Even though her marriage to the Duke of Marlborough failed, Consuelo still kept close connections with the Spencer-Churchill family, especially Winston Churchill. Consuelo relocated to Florida around 1932, and spent the last part of her life living in the United States. She passed away in 1964.

Thursday, September 7, 2017

As you all know, this blog and shoe company are called American Duchess - but would you believe we're not the first American Duchess(es) to exist? Nope! Indeed, there have been many American Duchesses over the years, from real women to a race horse, oil company, and line of fine cigars.

Perhaps the first common usage of the term "American Duchess" arose in the 19th century, when it became "a thing" for wealthy American socialites to marry broke English lords. The ladies got the status while the gentlemen got the money. If this sounds familiar, it was the premise for the marriage between Cora and Lord Grantham from Downton Abbey.

The term "American Duchess" on our side of the pond - the American side - became a colloquialism for this kind of pan-Atlantic match regardless of the actual title of the ladies involved. Some were actual Duchesses while others could claim less - or greater! - titles. With that being said, and much to the chagrin of proper English folks everywhere, we share with you the stories of some of our favorite, notable "American Duchesses."

Meet Jennie Jerome, who became Lady Randolph Spencer-Churchill. Lady Churchill was born in Brooklyn, New York to Leonard & Clara Jerome. Her father's success in stock market speculation and investments meant that she grew up in wealthy aristocratic circles in Europe and New York. She married Lord Randolph Spencer-Churchill in 1874, and became the mother to Winston Churchill. Turns out she was also, ahem, quite popular in aristocratic circles, and developed a lot of political and social connections this way. These political connections seem to be quite beneficial to Winston's career as an adult. She was also just stunning:

Photography by Henry Van Der Wyde, 1874-80s

Portrait c. 1880

Lord Randolph died in 1895, leaving Jennie a widow and a bit of a saucy cougar. Her second marriage was to George Cornwallis-West, who was the same age as her son, Winston, in 1900. Sadly, things fell apart over time, and they divorced in 1914. She married a third time to Montagu Phippen Porch, who was 3 years younger than her son Winston Churchill, in 1918.Outside of her love life, Jennie seems to have been an incredibly inspiring person. She was awarded the Royal Red Cross in 1902 for her services during the Second Boer War, published a memoir in 1908, was an avid playwright for West End productions, and edited a quarterly magazine, "The Anglo-Saxon Review" for a few years.

Jennie died in 1921, after a failed amputation attempt from an infection in her leg. She was 67 years old.

In my opinion, Jennie seems like she would have been an incredible woman to have been acquainted with during her lifetime, and is a great example of an "American Duchess."

Finally, just wanted to share this picture of her son, Winston, from the 1890s, when he was smokin' hot.

Monday, September 4, 2017

This past weekend, we went to see "Tulip Fever," a film set in 1630s Amsterdam. Though the movie suffers from mixed reviews, for historical costumers it's a feast for the eyes. Beautiful, very accurately made and worn garments, beautiful sets and lighting, excellent acting...it's one to add to your list of good-to-sew-by costume flicks.

While I too felt mixed about the plot (being business-minded I did wish there was more focus on the wacky tulip trade and not so much on the wacky love triangles), I couldn't help but be seduced by the clothing. Costume designer Michael O'Connor is famed for such fabled films as "The Duchess" and "Jane Eyre," and has produced in "Tulip Fever" another insanely rich and detailed depiction of early 17th century Dutch clothing.

A very 1630s gown with the "new" broad, soft silhouette, appropriate for the scene - a portrait being painted, so the height of fashion.

So of course now I want to make my own. Although I've always been drawn to the very late 16th century and early 17th century, I have made very little from that span and nothing at all from the 1620s or 1630s. "Tulip Fever" takes place in the mid 1630s and the styles of garments vary just as they did then. The 1630s seems to be a very transitional period with all sorts of change in silhouette, rigidity vs. softness, volume, etc. The film depicts this very well.

Anonymous - Portrait of Mertijntje van Ceters, 1623

Portrait of Catharina van Voorst Paulus Moreelse - 1628

Elisabeth (or Cornelia) Vekemans As A Young Girl - this date I believe is a little earlier

Cornelis de Vos Elisabeth (or Cornelia) Vekemans as a Young Girl, c. 1625

This specific period of dress holds a lot of mystery. It's not particularly well-studied and hardly represented at all in the historical costuming hobby. Angela Mombers does it wonderfully and her recently completed 1620 outfit is so inspiring that I'm feeling a neeeeeeeed to explore this period at last.

It feels good to be stepping into a new period of dress history. I've been laser-focused on the 18th century for years now, and I do love love love it beyond everything, but it's good to step out of one's comfort zone at time too. I'm nervous....I don't automatically know all the stitches or what order to do things in or the proper this-and-that, but that's all part of the fun, right? Wish me luck. <3